Smooth bore gun adapter

ABSTRACT

A shot gun of the pump type is usually employed by a law enforcing officer as an extremely lethal weapon at close range. Such a weapon is maintained effective by the present invention but it can no longer be considered lethal. The smooth bore barrel of the gun has a short barrel extension added thereto containing helically disposed lands and grooves. The diameter across the top of the grooves is greater than the diameter of the bore of the gun barrel so that the standard shot gun shell can still be fired by the gun without the extension adding a rotation to the pellets of the shell. The less lethal shell has one or more bags rolled in cylindrical form and inserted into the shell to permit the bag to expand as it is advanced into the lands and grooves of the barrel extension to be rotated thereby. When leaving the barrel extension, the bag is expanded by the centrifugal force produced by the lands and grooves and is advanced with a flattened side forwardly as it rotates normal to the trajectory to strike a target with the flat face. With this arrangement, the shot gun can be a minimum lethal weapon when employing the bag type projectile and a maximum lethal weapon when shot gun shells are used. While the barrel extension is described and shown as being applied to a single barrel shot gun, a single or double barrel extension could be applied to one or both barrels of a double barrel gun.

Elite States Patent Mainhardt et al.

[111 3,802,108 Apr. 9, 1 974 SMOOTH BORE GUN ADAPTER [75] Inventors: Robert Mainhardt, Pleasanton;

Gary G. Niskala, Pittsburgh, both of Calif.

{73] Assignee: MB Associates, San Ramon, Calif.

{22] Filed: May 17, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 253,978

{52] [1.5. CI. 42/77, 42/1 R, 42/78 [51] Int. Cl. F41c 21/00, F4lf 17/10 [58] Field of Search 42/1 R, 1 F, 76 R, 77, 42/78, 79; 102/42 C {56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.312.033 5/1967 Barr 42/1 F Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Attorney. Agent, or FirmHarness, Dickey & Pierce {5 7 1 ABSTRACT A shot gun of the pump type is usually employed by a law enforcing officer as an extremely lethal weapon at close range. Such a weapon is maintained effective by the present invention but it can no longer be considered lethal. The smooth bore barrel of the gun has a short barrel extension added thereto containing helically disposed lands and grooves. The diameter across the top of the grooves is greater than the diameter of the bore of the gun barrel so that the standard shot gun shell can still be fired by the gun without the extension adding a rotation to the pellets of the shell. The less lethal shell has one or more bags rolled in cylindrical form and inserted into the shell to permit the bag to expand as it is advanced into the lands and grooves of the barrel extension to be rotated thereby. When leaving the barrel extension, the bag is expanded by the centrifugal force produced by the lands and grooves and is advanced with a flattened side forwardly as it rotates normal to the trajectory to strike a target with the flat face. With this arrangement, the shot gun can be a minimum lethal weapon when employing the bag type projectile and a maximum lethal weapon whenshot gun shells are used. While the barrel extension is described and shown as being applied to a single barrel shot gun, a single or double barrel extension could be applied to one or both barrels of a double barrel gun.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SMOOTH BORE GUN ADAPTER RELATED A PPLICATIONS Reference may be had to application to R. C. Mawhinney, Ser. No. 39,294 now issued into US. Pat. No. 3,710,720 on Jan. 16, 1973 and that to S. F. Mulich et al., Ser. No. 77,526 now issued into US. Pat. No. 3,728,809 on Apr. 24, 1973 which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to a shot gun and shell combination of standard gauge. A rifled barrel section is securable on the end of a single or double barrel shot gun to provide spin to the projectile as it passes therefrom while permitting the standard shell to be fired in the normal manner. The shell embodies a standard case having a firing cap which communicates with a powder charge. A bag having two sides spaced by particles or like fluidic material is rolled into cylindrical form and inserted into the end of the case. Preferably a thin cylindrical liner is provided within the shell case in which the rolled projectile is inserted and forced with the liner into the end of the case. The liner has four axial slits in the cylindrical wall which permit the four intervening sections to flare outwardly when subjected to centrifugal force as it passes from the barrel section. The bag is freed from the liner and rotates in a plane normal to its trajectory to have flat contact with the target area to prevent permanent harm to the person struck thereby. The projectile can be filed in a single, pump, automatic or double barrel shot gun at a rate of fire for which the gun is capable. The rifled barrel section can be applied to any shot gun having a single or double barrel which may be of any length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a broken view in side elevation of a shot gun barrel having a rifled barrel section applied in extension of the end thereof;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a shot gun shell of standard gauge showing the internal arrangement of the parts thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken on the line 4-4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the projectile when moving in a trajectory normal to the plane of rotation thereof, and

FIG. 6 is a view of structure similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, showing a further form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A barrel extension 10 for the end of a barrel 11 of a shot gun of the single or double barrel, pump or automatic type, has the bore aligned with the bore 13 of the extension. The bore 13 has helically disposed lands and grooves 14 provided therein for rotating the projectile which is shot from the barrel 11 through the barrel extension. 10. The extension 10 has a collar portion 15 into which the end of the barrel 11 extends and which has a pair of spaced wings l6 and 17 at the bottom and a groove 18 at the top which passes over the'bead sight at the front end of the gun barrel. A plurality of screws 2 19 extend through the wing 16 into the threaded apertures 21 in the wing 17 which securely clamp the collar The shell has an end cap 23 containing a firing cap 24 aligned with an aperture 25 which communicates with a powder charge 26. While a wad may be applied over the powder charge before the projectile is inserted within the shell, in the present arrangement a plastic liner 27 is disposed within a case 28 which extends from the cap 23, the liner having a closure end 29 in engagement with the powder charge 26. The liner 27 has a thin cylindrical body 31 extending from the end 29 which has four axially disposed slits 32 therein extending outwardly from a wad 33 abutting an annular ledge 34. A projectile 35 is made from two pieces of square cloth, plastic or other material 36 heat sealed and/or stitched along lines 37 to provide a bag with the opposite walls 38 spaced apart by a plurality of small particles or other fluidic filler 39 which are preferably pellets of lead, steel, ceramics or the like whichmay-be dry or mixed with fluid'ic material such as powder which may be dye marking. The walls 38 are spaced substantially A inch apart and the bag is folded in the middle to form a cylinder 41, as illustrated in FIG. 4, before being inserted within the case 28. In the present atrangement, the cylindrical formed bag is inserted in the liner 27 and both are forced into the case 28, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thereafter, a sealing disc 42' is main tained over the end of the bag 35 by the crimped edges 43 of the case.

When the shell is fired, the powder forces the liner 27 along with the projectile 35 from the smooth bore of the barrel 11 and through the rifled barrel section 10.

The lands and grooves 14 of the rifling are engaged by the expanded liner sections between the slits andthe liner 27 and bag 35 are rotated thereby. Upon leaving the barrel section the liner 27 moves outwardly and releases the projectile or bag 35. The bag 35.rotates in a plane normal to its trajectory with the wall 38 in position to strike a target with a' maximum force over a large area without any substantial harm thereto.

In FIG. 1, the diameter across the tops of the lands and grooves 14 is shown to be the same as the diameter of the barrel 11. In FIG. 6, the barrel extension 45 has the bore 46 of substantially greater diameter than the bore 47 of the barrel 11. It will be noted that the bottom of the collar portion is separated from the barrel portion by a slot 48 so as to provide flexibility to the two wings 16 and 17 to permit them to be readily drawn together in clamped relationship about the end of the barrel 1 l. The barrel 1 1 has a bead sight 49 at the front end and both the extension 10 and 45 has a rib 51 .containing a groove 52 which passes over the sight when the extension is inserted over the end of the barrel 11. The rib 51 thereafter functions as the sight. The increase in the diameter of the bore 46 of the extension 45 over that of the barrel ll permits a regular shot gun shell to be fired without the shot pellets being rotated when passing through the extension 45. There is no restriction to the passage of the shot and wadding through the larger bore of the extension 45 which will not engage the rifling thereof. 0

The bag is compressed within the bore and the gas pressure and the memory of the bag material will cause the bag to expand and move the thin wall sections 32 and the bag into engagement with the lands and grooves 14 which produce the axial rotation thereof. As the bag is expelled from the end of the extension 45, it will rotate in a plane normal to the trajectory so that a flat face will strike a large area of a target. Without removing the barrel extension, a standard shot gun shell may be fired without interference as it passes through the barrel extension. in this arrangement, the gun can be used as a non-lethal weapon and also as a lethal weapon by substituting one shell for the other.

We claim:

1. in combination with a smooth bore gun barrel, a barrel extension containing rifling mountable on the muzzle end of the gun barrel, means for securing said extension on said gun barrel end, the inner diameter of the barrel extension being substantially larger than the diameter of the gun barrel, a shell of the standard type having standard shot pellets therein being fireable from the barrel and extension without any substantial engagement with the rifling thereof, and a shell having a flat bag type projectile containing a fluidic material also fireable from said gun barrel, said flat bag expanding into the rifling of the extension to produce rotation thereto so that the two types of shell can be fired seriatim from the gun.

2. In combination with a smooth bore gun of the standard type having a smooth bore barrel, an extension for said barrel having rifling which is offset outward of said barrel bore an amount sufficient to permit the passage of the propelled element of a standard shot gun shell therethrough without the rotation thereof and a shell encasing a flat bag type projectile containing fluidic material which expands to engage the offset rifling and be rotated thereby when passing therethrough when the shell is fired. 

1. In combination with a smooth bore gun barrel, a barrel extension containing rifling mountable on the muzzle end of the gun barrel, means for securing said extension on said gun barrel end, the inner diameter of the barrel extension being substantially larger than the diameter of the gun barrel, a shell of the standard type having standard shot pellets therein being fireable from the barrel and extension without any substantial engagement with the rifling thereof, and a shell having a flat bag type projectile containing a fluidic material also fireable from said gun barrel, said flat bag expanding into the rifling of the extension to produce rotation thereto so that the two types of shell can be fired seriatim from the gun.
 2. In combination with a smooth bore gun of the standard type having a smooth bore barrel, an extension for said barrel having rifling which is offset outward of said barrel bore an amount sufficient to permit the passage of the propelled element of a standard shot gun shell therethrough without the rotation thereof and a shell encasing a flat bag type projectile containing fluidic material which expands to engage the offset rifling and be rotated thereby when passing therethrough when the shell is fired. 